Memorable Manitobans: Gordon Alexander McMorran (1885-1966)

Gordon Alexander McMorran Click to enlarge

Editor and publisher.

Born at Walkerton, Ontario on 9 January 1885, son of Robert Wallace McMorran and Margaret Elizabeth Findlay, he was educated at the public schools of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The family came to Manitoba in 1889 where the father taught school, homesteaded and founded the Somerset Century newspaper. McMorran learned the printing business with his father and worked on papers in Langham, Saskatchewan; Vancouver, BC and the Manitoba Western Canadian at Manitou. He moved to Souris in 1912 and purchased the Souris Plaindealer from William J. Barclay.

On 28 December 1909, he married Dora Jackson Ullyot (1886-1956, daughter of George Walter Ullyot) at Manitou and they had two children: Gordon Lyall McMorran (1910-1964) and Dora Lillian McMorran (1912-?, wife of Frank Rutherford Wallace). He was a member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association, Souris Board of Trade, IOOF, Masons (Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Manitoba, 1952), and Presbyterian Church. His recreations included curling and golf. He published three books on Manitoba history: Souris River Posts (1953), The Souris Plains (1957), and The Story of Red River and Oregon (?). In 1935 he founded the first rental and tourist agency in Riding Mountain National Park. In 1962 he was given a Manitoba Golden Boy Award for meritorious service to Manitoba.

He died at Winnipeg on 14 October 1966 and was buried in the Souris Glenwood Cemetery.

His articles for the Manitoba Historical Society:

Souris River Forts in the Hartney District
MHS Transactions, Series 3, 1948-49 Season

Sources:

Ontario birth registration, Ancestry.

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

“New Golden Boys,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 May 1962, page 19.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1966, page 30.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Stan Barclay for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 September 2016

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!